Maine agencies promote invasive species awareness

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine’s natural resource agencies are calling attention to the problem of invasive species during National Invasive Species Awareness Week.

The week, which kicks off Sunday, features activities, briefings, workshops and events addressing invasive species issues at the local, state and national levels.

In Maine, the departments of Conservation, Agriculture, Environmental Protection, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and Marine Resources are promoting activities to raise awareness about the dangers of invasive species.

The most destructive invasive species in Maine is the green crab, which eats soft-shell clams. Other invasive species include aquatic plants such as milfoil that can clog up lakes, and the plant known as purple loosestrife, which degrades wetlands and destroys habitat.

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Maine’s forests are threatened by invasive species such as the hemlock wooly adelgid and the browntail moth.